Domination

When Mr.Maretzki first started playing the movie Tape I was really concerned because it seemed so boring and anti-climactic what with the entire shoot taking place in a dingy hotel room and the cast totalling a whopping three people. Uma Thurman’s apperance in the movie MADE the movie into a classic story of control and confidence. Anyway, I decided that I want to answer 2.75 of the 4 questions!!

***"As you watched the film, how did you identify each character, did their identity (as you perceived it) change, and why?"
addressed at the same time as "Assuming that in any relationship between two people there is some balance of power, where did you see power shifting, and what caused it?"***

I think that the character, Vince, played by Ethan Hawke, definitely did not change character-wise but did experience a change in his control of the situation. He went from being in total control of the situation to being in trouble and at the mercy of the plot line by the end of the movie. The reason that he wanted Jon Salter to come visit him was so that he could get a confession out of his friend and present a tape recording to the suppossed "victim" Amy Randall. The coyness of his immature character persuaded Jon to come clean with the story of what happened the night of their graduation. Vince was able to nag Jon into confessing a crime that he didn't really commit, showing that he had total control! He dominated the first half of the movie with his trickery as well as his childish, annoyoing, yet captivatingly dangerous lifestyle. Vince did not change in character, grasping at straws when the movie opened and remaining desperate when the movie closed. At one point, it seemed as though the intention of his actions were to screw everyone over and ruin their lives.

Contrary to his plan, the arrival of a strong and resolute Amy Randall spoiled his nefarious scheme. When Amy Randall arrived, you could sense that there was going to be a shift of power, simply by the way she confidently walked, talked, and reasoned. Amy had a very powerful character and you could tell that she was very good at thinking on her feet, often taking command of the conversation by focusing on her opponent, Vince's, weaknesses. She went at him like a starved dog, biting the neck of his argument and bleeding it to death, which would be expected of an attorney general! Even as Jon tried to confess the validity of the suppossed date-rape experience, Amy was unstirred, faithful to her original stance that it had never taken place. Her strength of character helped to lift Jon out of his backed-into-the-corner position and revive his self-respect. I was amazed at her resilience as well as her ability to change the minds of others--her character was unwaning and unaffected by Vince’s silly, pot-headed plot.

In my opinion, Jon was the victim of both Vince and Amy throughout the story, never gaining the upperhand in both his actions and his interactions with his two friends. He did not have enough dignity and self-confidence, falling for Vince's plot, needing Amy to wretch him back to real life by convincing him that what he thought happened did not happen. It appeared as though he gave up fairly easily and was constantly on the defense, even when trying to tell Amy what happened ten (or however long ago) years before. His character change was barely noticeable because I had perceived him as being a weak person from the beginning of the movie. The only evidence of sustainability that I saw in Jon was his willingness to accept his fate after Amy called the police. Once again, Amy was able to take control of both men and expose their character and values. Because of Amy’s convincing act, we were able to get the sense of an identity change in both male characters. Vince, once again, proved himself to be a coward, flushing the drugs he had lived by for too long, while Jon decided to stop running from his guilt and come clean.

***"What does Tape reveal to you about males & females?"***
This may seem like a silly answer but the movie showed me that men are always vulnerable to women. They may think they have the cajones in the beginning, but when the big dance comes, they are often proved wrong. Amy was a great example of a working woman who knew what she was doing and had the means to control the situation. This movie showed me that gender has nothing to do with your control over a situation. The determining factor in whether or not you are able to take control of your life is your inner character. Will you be Vince or will you be Jon in a situation that tests your morals? Anyone who has drive, confidence, and determination will be the one surviving in the end, regardless of your gender.

This movie is also a good representation of the 21st century working woman who is unafraid to challenge her male counterparts. Ever since equality prevailed over laws that discriminated against women, we have seen an influx of women who are willing to beat men for jobs--take Hilary Clinton, for example! The boxing gloves are off, as far as I’m concerned, because women are no longer content with staying home raising a family. Amy was a quintessential example of the “new” generation of working women. Ruthless and confident in her abilities to discern common sense from trash, she paved a way through the movie, unphased by those she cut down mercilessly. Gone are the days of a dominant gender--women are on their way up as far as I’m concerned.